Life Span Lock in of a Lifetime

Joint attention

The process of sharing attention with another person

Synaptic pruning

The elimination of unused neural connections in the brain

Seriation

The ability to arrange items in order along a dimension such as size or importance

Naturalist intelligence

Ability to recognize and understand patterns in nature

Controversial child

A child who is both liked by many peers and disliked by many peers

Aggressive rejected children

Rejected children who are hostile and disruptive

Hostile attribution bias

Tendency to interpret ambiguous actions as hostile

Sexual dimorphism

Physical differences between males and females that emerge during puberty

Formal operational thought

Ability to think abstractly and reason about hypothetical situations

Personal fable

Belief that one is unique and invulnerable to harm

Anorexia nervosa

Eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and extreme weight loss

Postconventional morality

Moral reasoning based on abstract principles like justice and equality

Moratorium

Identity status involving exploration without commitment

Clique

Small group of close friends who interact frequently

Crowd

Larger peer group defined by shared reputation or identity

Males

Gender more likely to base popularity on athletics

Financially independent

One characteristic of being an adult

30

Approximate age when signs of senescence begin

Preeclampsia

Pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure

Relativistic

Type of thinking in young adulthood that recognizes multiple perspectives

Motherhood penalty

Economic disadvantage experienced by mothers in the workplace

Physical development middle childhood

Steady growth in height strength and coordination ages 6 to 11

Motor skills

Improved coordination and control of body movements

Childhood obesity

Excessive body fat that can lead to health problems

Brain development middle childhood

Increased myelination and synaptic pruning improving efficiency

ADHD

Disorder with inattention impulsivity and hyperactivity

Autism spectrum disorder

Neurodevelopmental disorder affecting communication and social interaction

Concrete operational stage

Piaget stage ages 7 to 11 involving logical thinking and conservation

Conservation

Understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance

Spatial reasoning

Ability to understand spatial relationships between objects

Metamemory

Awareness and understanding of one’s own memory processes

Mnemonics

Memory strategies that improve recall

IQ

Intelligence quotient measuring cognitive ability

Criticism of IQ tests

They may be culturally biased and not measure all types of intelligence

Multiple intelligences theory

Gardner’s theory that intelligence includes many different abilities

Peer acceptance

Degree to which a child is liked by peers

Popular children

Well liked and socially skilled children

Rejected children

Disliked and often socially unskilled or aggressive children

Neglected children

Children who are largely ignored by peers

Bullying

Repeated aggressive behavior intended to harm others

Hostile aggression

Aggression driven by anger with intent to hurt

Instrumental aggression

Aggression used to achieve a goal

Proactive aggression

Deliberate aggression used to gain something

Reactive aggression

Aggression in response to perceived threat

Passive victims

Withdrawn children who are targeted by bullies

Aggressive victims

Children who are both victims and perpetrators of bullying

Gender segregation

Tendency for boys and girls to form separate peer groups

Coregulation

Gradual shift of control from parent to child

Divorce effects

Includes conflict reduced income and less parental contact

Abandonment feelings

Common emotional response in children after divorce

Adolescent growth spurt

Rapid increase in height and weight during puberty

Menarche

First menstrual period in females

Spermarche

First ejaculation in males

Puberty timing

Girls typically begin earlier than boys

Limbic system

Brain system involved in emotion and reward

Prefrontal cortex

Brain region responsible for decision making and impulse control

Risk taking

Increased during adolescence due to brain development imbalance

Depression adolescence

Increases during puberty especially in females

Bulimia nervosa

Eating disorder involving binge eating and purging

Formal operations stage

Piaget stage involving abstract and hypothetical thinking

Adolescent egocentrism

Heightened self-consciousness and focus on self

Imaginary audience

Belief that others are constantly watching and judging

Kohlberg preconventional

Moral reasoning based on avoiding punishment and gaining rewards

Kohlberg conventional

Moral reasoning based on social rules and approval

Parent adolescent conflict

Increase in conflict as independence is negotiated

Friendship functions

Provide support intimacy and help develop social skills

Gender differences friendships

Girls focus on intimacy boys on shared activities

Conformity

Adjusting behavior to match group norms

Romantic identity

Development of ideas about romantic relationships

Emerging adulthood

Period from 18 to 25 focused on exploration and instability

Self focus

Emerging adults focus on themselves and personal development

Possibilities

Sense of optimism and multiple future paths

College adjustment

Shift to more independent and complex thinking

Postformal thought

More flexible and realistic thinking beyond adolescence

Young adulthood

Period from 20 to 40 marked by peak physical performance

Senescence

Gradual physical decline beginning in early adulthood

Infertility

Inability to conceive after one year of trying

Miscarriage

Loss of pregnancy before 20 weeks

Ectopic pregnancy

Pregnancy occurring outside the uterus

Maternal mortality

Death related to pregnancy or childbirth

Racial disparities maternal health

Higher mortality rates for certain racial groups

Postpartum depression

Severe depression following childbirth

Baby blues

Mild temporary sadness after childbirth

Reflective thinking

Ability to think deeply and consider multiple perspectives

Career choice internal factors

Interests abilities and values influencing career decisions

Career choice external factors

Economic conditions and social influences

Working mothers

Mothers who are employed outside the home

Motherhood penalty expanded

Reduced wages and career opportunities for mothers